Battered by time and war

A general view of the Church of Saint Simeon, 30km northwest of Aleppo, Syria - AP

AT the height of the Islamic State group’s rampage across Syria, the world watched in horror as the militants blew up an iconic arch and temple in the country’s famed Roman ruins in Palmyra.

Eight years later, IS has lost its hold but restoration work on the site has been held up by security issues, leftover land mines and lack of funding.